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Alpentour Trophy 2016 - Etappe Rennbericht / Stage 04 Race Report

By Alpentour Trophy 2016

Austrian double stage victory at the Alpentour Trophy in Schladming

Christina Kollmann and Hermann Pernsteiner from Austria are today’s elite stage winners at the time trial onto the Planai mountain. Kollmann, originally from the Schladming region and now based in Upper Austria, secures herself also the overall race title at the Alpentour Trophy 2016. After a green-white-red stage win series on the days one, two and three by the Italians Samuele Porro, Tony Longo and Daniele Mensi in the Elite Men’s, last year’s Champion Longo defended his title and won the 18th Alpentour Trophy. Almost 450 mountain bikers from a good 30 nations had taken part in the event in Schladming. Over four days, more then 9000 m of elevation and 192 km had to be conquered.

After a wet first day the Alpine weather kept teasing the riders with all sorts of conditions, however, the sun came out right on time every morning for the daily race starts.

In a record time of 47:48 the Austrian Hermann Pernsteiner raced onto the top postition of today’s stage on the last day of the Alpentour Trophy – the spectators said that it looked like he was flying up the steep climbs. “Right from the start my legs felt really good, however, I didn’t know whether I would be able to endure until the finish. I tried to get into a rhythm and in the steep sections I felt so good that I stayed confident”, Pernsteiner said of his high climbing pace. He added that he was very content with his overall placing in fifth and that he probably would have placed even better, had he not missed a turn on day two. “I’m not bitter about what could have been, though. I’m happy with my stage win today and will be attacking with everything I’ve got next year”, the runner up in the Marathon National Championships said.

The stage positions two and three again were claimed by Italy with Daniele Mensi in second (+0:00:24) and Tony Longo (+0:01:17), whose third place today secured himself also the overall title in the elite men’s category.

The overall classification in the elite men’s therefore is as follows: the top three positions go to Italy with Longo, Rabensteiner and Mensi, then Germany with Jochen Käß, positions five through to seven go to Austria with Pernsteiner, Lakata and Geismayr and then another two to Italy with Samuele Porro and Johnny Cattaneo. The Dutch rider Rudi van Houts is in tenth. 

Four stages in the bag: Austrian victory for Kollmann
Christina Kollmann took out all four stage wins in the Elite Wmen’s division and today her legs had felt quite heavy at the start, she admitted at the finish. It had been a great way to prepare for the World Championships in France in two weeks and her winning time today of 1:08:34 is a respectable one. “The event was really well organised and I had a lot of fun, I’ll be back next year”, Kollmann complimented the organisational committee around race promoter Gerhard Schönbacher.

Today’s stage saw a new face on the podium with Annemarie Worst from The Netherlands. With a gap of one and a half minutes she placed in second ahead of the British rider Sharon Laws (+0:04:28). The overall classification stayed the same though: Kollmann ahead of the Dutch rider Karen Brouwer and Laws.

In the Elite Master category the podium was claimd by Austria: Alexander Gatterer won ahead of Markus Schweiger and Andreas Bäumel. The renowned Alpentour Trophy ambassador from The Netherlands, Olympic Champion and legendary mountain bike racer Bart Brentjens raced into the top ten with a ninth spot overall.

Today’s time trial topped off the 18th Alpentour Trophy high above Schladming. As one of the most notable UCI stage races in Europe the event with its international field of racers will return to Styria and the Schladming-Dachstein region next year.


Elite Men Overall Result 2016
1. LONGO Tony (ITA) / WILIER FORCE SQUADRA / 9:15:50 
2. RABENSTEINER Fabian (ITA) / TEAM TREK-SELLE SAN / 9:23:04 +0:07:13
3. MENSI Daniele (ITA) / SOUDAL PARKPRE RACIN / 9:23:21 +0:07:30
4. KÄß Jochen (GER) / CENTURION VAUDE / 9:23:52 +0:08:01
5. PERNSTEINER Hermann (AUT) / CENTURION VAUDE / 9:25:29 +0:09:38 

Elite Women Overall Result 2016
1. KOLLMANN Christina (AUT) / TEAM TREK-SELLE SAN / 12:01:23
2. BROUWER Karen (NED) KMC TEAM / 12:49:52 +0:48:29
3. LAWS Sharon (UK) / PODIUM AMBITION / 13:13:33 +1:12:10 
4. WORST Annemarie (NED) / MIJNBADLIVGIANT OFFR / 13:49:14 +1:47:51
5. MERMANS Petra (BEL) / VANOMOBIL MTB CYLING / 14:24:40 +2:23:17